The present invention relates to sports training aids, and in particular to an aid for improving basketball jump shots.
Proficiency in the sport of basketball requires developing the ability to shoot over opposing players, and the ability to achieve height significantly enhances a player's likelihood of successfully shooting over an opponent. Various training aids have been proposed to assist in developing these abilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,808 issued Sep. 3, 1985 for “Device for Training Basketball Players to Shoot,” describes a frame with intruding members intended to duplicate the experience of shooting in the presence of opponents, but fails to force the player to jump and release the ball at a minimum height. U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,016 issued Feb. 4, 1997 for “Muscle-Memory Method and Basketball Training Aid,” describes a frame supporting an elevated horizontal window for a player to reach through to shoot. U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,879 issued Jul. 1, 1997 for “Sports Practice Apparatus,” describes a vertically positionable net for use in practice. U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,132 issued Apr. 8, 2003 for “Basketball Practice System,” describes an adjustable window for a player to shoot through to develop a desired arc in ball's trajectory.
Although various attempts have been made to provide an apparatus and method for training basketball players, none require the player to jump to both see and shoot at the basket.